The facts about spinal tumors (w/PODCAST)

June 25, 2015
| by City of Hope

The spine can be affected by many different kinds of tumors.

Malignant, or cancerous, tumors can arise within the spine itself. Secondary spinal tumors, which are actually much more common, begin as cancers in another part of the body, such as the breast and prostate, and then spread, or metastasize, to the spine.

Because the spinal cord is enclosed within the rigid, bony spinal column, any abnormal growth can cause problems by compressing the spinal cord and nerves, or compromising the structural integrity of the spine.

Here, City of Hope's Mike Chen, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of neurosurgery, discusses spinal tumors, their diagnosis and how City of Hope is leading the way in less-invasive spine tumor surgery.